Throughout history, pearls have sparked legends and stories of beauty, mysticism, war, and value. Riverine pearls have always been a major coveted item; it is even said the Romans conquered Britain for pearls. 1 They were a source of extensive pearl harvesting along river banks, particularly in Scandinavia 2, Germany 3 and British Isles, particularly Scotland 4.  The most famous local pearl-producing mussel has long gone extinct in the Netherlands, though it remains a red-listed species in neighbouring countries 5

Mussels are vital to a riverine ecosystem, being able to filter water at an astonishing rate. At the same time, this makes them extremely vulnerable as every substance in the water passes through their bodies. With their long lifespan, their decline is not immediately noticeable. Yet when elders die off without a new generation to follow them up, the riverine ecosystem topples like a house of cards.9

In Mother Of Pearl, empty freshwater mussels found on the banks of the Amstel River are given care after violence. Their fragile shells are meticulously reproduced in glass to craft them an impenetrable barrier, a final safe space. A little light illuminates their pearlescent skin, drawing attention to their starting pearls. The artistic process is a study of their being, an act of witnessing, a testament to their past suffering. As an installation, the shells are the ghosts of their extinct ancestors and their living siblings still enduring a battle underwater.  What lies at the heart of every starting pearl? How hard must the mussels work to survive? And what happens when their metabolism is too disturbed to clean water?

The work is accompanied by a soundscape based on Rhine River field recordings, specifically isolating the industrial sounds that pollute these waters with intense vibrations and haunting sounds. As the mussels are forced to share their bodies with the many shipping vessels traversing their space during their lives, the spectator of the installation now becomes subjected to the echoes of their suffering. Listen to an excerpt of the soundtrack below.

Between No Longer and Not Yet at Zone2Source